


basically an atheist, he's all that I believe in right now

by imaginativecurls



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Angel Wings, Angel/Human Relationships, Castiel to the Rescue (Supernatural), Destiel - Freeform, Heaven, Hell, Hurt Dean Winchester, M/M, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22819957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginativecurls/pseuds/imaginativecurls
Summary: The details behind September 18th, 2008. The day Dean Winchester was resurrected.ORWhat happened in the four months before Castiel pulled Dean out of hell and how it changed the way Castiel percieved humans forever.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 11
Kudos: 39





	basically an atheist, he's all that I believe in right now

Castiel sat on the forever green grass of the heaven he favored the most. He watched the autistic man fly his kite for the millionth time in the last 57 years. His fingertips grazed over the tops of the blades of grass, a light dew coating them. The angel reveled in the silence, enjoying how opposite it was from actual heaven. From where his brothers and sisters were arguing over God's newest command.

**Retrieve Dean Winchester from perdition and return him to Earth.**

The news put the angels in a frenzy.

Who is this Dean Winchester? Why was this human important?

Only a select few knew the answer as to why. Castiel wasn't one of them. All he knew was that Dean Winchester was not supposed to die this soon. He had a path set for him decades ago before he was even thought of. But then something on Earth changed it all.

It took stealth and trust in some of the lower class angels to get the story on the human. Now he was all Castiel could think about.

Dean Winchester. Born January 27th, 1979. Son of John Winchester and Mary Campbell. The elder brother of Sam Winchester. Died May 2nd, 2008. Cause of death: hellhound attack. And that's what puzzled Castiel the most.

A hellhound attack caused by an expired demon held contract. 

Once he knew of Dean Winchester's name, he studied the human's history and nowhere was there a possibility of death by hellhound. It was nowhere written in the universe. 

So what changed?

~~~

"What do you know of Dean Winchester?" Castiel asked Samandriel in the heavens a month after the commotion broke out. The angels still haven't come to a decision and things were as tense as ever.

"Dean Winchester? The man God has ordered to be resurrected?" 

Castiel nodded thoughtfully. Samandriel eyed his brother, "Why do you ask?"

"It seems as though our superiors are keeping to themselves on this. No one besides them knows what God and Joshua are saying." Castiel stepped closer to the younger angel. "But I know you and Kelvin,"

Castiel lowered his voice and Samandriel narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Tend to listen and meddle around in conversations that are not meant for you.

Samandriel folded his arms across his chest. "How do you know about that?"

Castiel stood tall with his hands folded nicely behind his back and a smile that said: "I won't tell, but don't test my patience."

Samandriel rolled his eyes and put down his defense. "We heard that the human wasn't meant to go to hell."

Castiel sighed, "Yes, that I know of. Do you know what changed his path?"

"He made a deal with one of those crossroads demons. I heard from Uriel-"

"Overheard."

"I  _ overheard _ from Uriel that a year ago, Dean made the deal to bring his younger brother back from the dead."

"Sam?" Castiel tilted his head and Samandriel hummed. "I don't remember a Sam Winchester being brought into heaven or being cast down as a matter of fact."

"Neither do I, but I know it all happened in a matter of hours. A day at the most. Dean worked quickly I suppose. Didn't even hesitate from what I heard." Samandriel turned away to sit down in one of the chairs that surrounded the long, rectangular table in the middle of the stark white room.

Castiel stared at the floor in thought. "I don't understand. Most demon and human agreements are set in years. Decades usually."

"The poor man settled for a year. One last year of life for his brother's lasting future."

~~~

Castiel hadn't stopped thinking about the human since. The angel hasn't seen such self-sacrifice amongst humans in centuries. He had forgotten what sacrifice looked like and what Castiel (after weeks of pondering) realized was what humans referred to as love.

He had so many questions that he knew he had no place to ask. Especially in such trying times. He was a commanding officer. A war leader. He shouldn't have doubts. He's simply waiting for his instructions to operate or not to operate.

Castiel understood how long his siblings' arguments could last, though, hence why he took the time for serenity.

He was sitting on a bench in his favorite heaven when he felt another presence apart from the soul that conjured the heaven. "Yes?"

Uriel stood at the opposite end of the bench, watching the human fly his kite. "I have been instructed to inform you of the new commands of God." There was a hint of annoyance under Uriel's voice.

Castiel stood up in interest, facing his brother. "What is it?"

"I'm sure by now you've heard the name Dean Winchester and how he needs to be brought back to Earth."

Castiel nodded.

"It has been foretold that he and his brother will be the key to stopping Armageddon." 

Castiel's fists balled up by his sides. "Armageddon? Already?"

Uriel didn't respond. He took his turn to sit on the bench, folding his hands in his lap. "All you need to know is that Dean will be the one to stop the 66 seals from being broken."

More questions ran through Castiel's head. More than he thought he had any right to voice. So he stood stiff and silent.

"Final decisions are still being made. But be prepared, brother."

And Castiel was alone with the human soul again. Only this time with a new feeling he couldn't place his finger on. He shook his head at his foolish behavior and sat back down. 

He listened to the peace around him once again and let his mind drift off to what kind of man Dean Winchester was in his day.

~~~

"He broke." Samandriel announced as he sat in a chair opposite of Castiel. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Winchester. The demons finally got to him. He's aiding in torture."

Castiel sat up straight letting the information sink in. No, that cannot be correct. Dean Winchester is a strong soul. A brave one. He killed demons in his time. How could he cave-in that fast?

"Poor son of a bitch, right?" Samandriel shook his head in despair as Castiel gave him a look for his language. 

"He is torturing… other souls?" Castiel clarified.

"Yes, I believe so. Whatever they're doing to him, it's not pretty." 

"But Dean Winchester is a good man." Defensiveness was caked in Castiel's tone. "He was one of those huntsmen that kill the unholy creatures on Earth."

"I believe they call themselves hunters, brother." Samandriel smiled.

"Regardless," Castiel waved his hand. He swiveled mindlessly side to side in the chair, his eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"Dean does not deserve to be in there. Whether it was God's command or not." He looked to the younger, slouched angel. "Why don't we ever help the innocent who are wrongfully cast down?"

Samandriel stared at Castiel with wide eyes. This is not the Castiel he has known for all of his existence speaking in front of him. This is not the same being who would train him in combat. Who would scold him for not being attentive enough and losing his footing during a fight.

"This… man has changed you. You've never expressed this amount of... emotion before." Samandriel leaned forward. "This amount of concern. Especially not towards the humans."

Castiel's face dropped. In a mere second, he went back to looking like he always did before the death of Dean Winchester.

Impartial. Apathetic. Cold. A soldier.

He blinked, his features now relaxed. Castiel looked away from his brother. "You're right. I have no place to question the work of heaven."

Samandriel didn't answer, but he looked at his elder and thought, "He's growing a heart."

~~~

"The human has become a torturer! It is deranged to even think such a weak soul could be worthy of God's work."

"Who are you to decide that?!"

"He is right. Dean Winchester was a mere huntsman in his lifetime. A lowlife. He was dishonest and a thief. It makes no sense to bring him back."

"It is God's word! We have orders to follow what Joshua relays to us from God."

Castiel stood in the corner of the boardroom finding himself disliking everything that came spiraling out of his siblings' mouths. He tuned out now and then, only listening when Dean's name came up. But so far every time the human in question was brought up it was negative.

Castiel didn't want to hear anything negative about Dean. None of it mattered to him. Castiel knew the facts.

Dean lived a life of death and dishonesty, yes, but what no one else in the room has brought up was how selfless the human was.

After researching more about the human, Castiel learned that Dean was thrown into a life of hunting monsters. Thrown into being a caregiver for his brother after their mother died. Forced to follow his father's sudden abnormal lifestyle for them. Forced to put his family's and random strangers' needs before his own. Why was no one mentioning those details?

If you ask Castiel, Dean was a man worth saving.

"Then it is decided. Dean Winchester will be rescued from hell." 

Castiel lifted his head. Zachariah was the one to make the final word. "Now it is a matter of who will retrieve him."

The room fell silent. The angels looked at each other with hesitancy. Castiel's eyes locked with Samandriel.

Samandriel tilted his head in the direction of Zachariah and Castiel shook his no, silently hoping his brother wouldn't speak a word.

"I think Castiel will be best suited."

Castiel spoke too soon.

All heads turned to Castiel making him quickly fix his posture and the look of surprise on his face.

"He is one of our best war leaders.  _ The _ best if you ask me. He has fought through worse than a walk through hell. He could retrieve Winchester in little time."

Zachariah looked between Samandriel and Castiel before settling his hard gaze at Castiel. "Do you wish to do it, Castiel?"

"If that is where I am needed, I willfully accept the task," Castiel said with a firm voice. Zachariah gave him a nod before addressing the room again. 

"Then it is final. Castiel will rescue Dean Winchester from hell and we will monitor him and his brother to stop the beginning of armageddon. Our number one importance here is to make sure Lucifer is never to be released from his prison." 

The angels made a notion of understanding and Zachariah turned to Castiel again. "You and Uriel will watch Dean Winchester. You will inform him of his duties. And see to it that he follows our orders." 

Castiel nodded and the room was dismissed. Castiel watched everyone file out of the room, leaving him and Samandriel behind. 

"Why did you suggest I retrieve him?" Castiel asked when they were alone.

"I don't know what's going on in that mind of yours, Castiel, but all I know is that you've never had an outspoken one before. You never question our brethren and I think Dean Winchester is the reason." 

Castiel was confused. He didn't understand what Samandriel was implying. He didn't understand the emotion that was trying to force his way past the millennium-old emotion of obedience that was programmed into his being.

"No. No, that's not it at all. I'm simply following orders. I am to rescue the human, report to heaven and make sure the human follows orders. That's all, Samandriel." Castiel sounded as though he was convincing himself rather than the other angel. 

Samandriel shook his head as he watched his superior walk out of the room with a soldier-like sway.

“Maybe too much heart...”

~~~

Castiel prowled the halls of hell, his angel blade held firmly in his fist. He had encountered a few demons along the way that he smote out of his way with ease. But not before forcing the location of where Dean Winchester was being held out of them first.

Castiel was following a hallway that was lined with rusty, dry blood and other fluids covered, steel doors, ignoring the echoes of screams and pleas that rang in between his ears. He stopped in front of a door on the right.

With a wave of his hand and the door creaked open. The hunk of metal hit the wall making the prisoner inside jump. Castiel tilted his head at the shaking figure in the corner of the room.

They were huddled against the wall, their back facing Castiel. The shirt on their back was ripped to nearly nothing around their waist. Castiel’s eyes trailed to their blood coated arms that were scattered with a mix of deep abrasions and bruising. Their feet were uncovered and painted with blood as well. And from where Castiel stood, the bottom of their pants was ripped to shreds up to their knees.

Castiel already knew this was Dean Winchester, but not by this image alone. 

Castiel could see Dean’s soul and it was blazing white. It was glistening and a stark, startling contrast to his appearance, the cell, and hell itself. Castiel wondered if it had dimmed any since Dean entered hell.

“Leave me alone.”

The gravelly voice pulled Castiel from his thoughts. Dean was shifting around, still not looking in the direction of the door. 

“Please. I can’t- I can’t do it anymore.”

Castiel stepped into the cell and the noise of footsteps made Dean hide his face further away in his arms.

“I can’t do it, you bastards!”

Castiel hovered over Dean, blade now tucked back into his sleeve as he reached out to caress the top of Dean’s head. Dean flinched at the touch, jolting up and finally looking at Castiel. Castiel stared at the human’s dirt and blood-covered face that had streaks where tears had cut through the grime. Dean’s eyes were full of fear and confusion and Castiel hoped his own showed nothing of the sort.

“Who are you?” Dean asked in a quieter voice.

“I’m here to take you home, Dean Winchester.”

Dean stared at him, unmoved. Castiel bent down to a squat and Dean pressed himself further into the wall. 

"It's okay. I'm here to help you."

The two looked at each other, both taken aback by the other's appearance.

Dean couldn't tell if this was hell's doing or his brain playing tricks on him. There was an extremely handsome man in a suit and trench coat telling him that he was going to take him home. Face wise, Dean thought the man was perfect. Almost too perfect.

Heavenly, Dean concluded.

There was no way this man existed anywhere except his imagination and/or hell's box of "faux hopes to show it's prisoners."

In Castiel's thoughts, he couldn't believe the man he spent months learning about looked this fragile-this broken- yet had a soul that was of pure content. It was quite beautiful if Castiel were to be honest. The symbolism of it all. Any doubts Castiel previously had about Dean Winchester being nothing more than another simple hairless ape was now gone.

God wanted Dean Winchester to be saved and Castiel couldn't care less about the reason why.

Castiel placed his hand on Dean's left bicep and Dean followed the movement with his eyes. A bright light ignited in between their touching skins and it caused Dean to hiss. Dean gripped Castiel's wrist as the sizzling sensation worsened.

"Get off me!"

The light diminished and Dean panicked as he tried to pull away only to realize they were stuck together. "What's going on?! What are you doing to me?!"

With their bodies now attached, Castiel released his wings. Dean cut himself mid complaint and stared at the black masses in awe. They flapped once to spread out fully causing a thin dust storm to swarm around them.

Dean couldn't stop himself from mindlessly reaching his free hand towards the feathers. They were jet black, yet as they pulsed, Dean swore he saw them, ever so slightly, shifting colors. Like a rainbow swirl in an oil spill.

Dean's fingers barely grazed the pillow-soft wing before it involuntarily fluttered causing dean to snatch his hand back as if he was harmed.

Dean looked back up to Castiel, who was already watching him with shuttered eyes. "What-"

"There is no time for questions." 

And with that, Castiel hoisted Dean to his feet, ignoring Dean's protests to release him. With his hand still adhered to Dean's arm and his other arm wrapped securely around Dean's waist, Castiel flapped his wings once. Twice. 

And before Dean could even protest once more, they were off the ground and through the cell's ceiling. Dean yelled out a curse of surprise as he felt air rush all around him. It was all hot air blowing roughly against Dean's face before suddenly it was like ice water had been thrown on him. It was refreshing yet extremely startling. 

"You may open your eyes, Dean."

Dean's eyelids eased open. He wasn't even sure when he closed them. Castiel was staring at him with these insanely blue eyes that Dean thought he could only see when looking at the sky. Then the sound of wings flapping registered in Dean's ears.

Speaking of the sky.

They were floating. In the air. In the sky. Dean couldn't even see the ground. Only white clouds below them.

This man with black wings who magically glued his hand to Dean's arm was the only thing holding them up. Dean let out another curse. He scrambled closer to Castiel, his hands unapologetically gripping the fabric of the trench coat.

"What the hell is happening?!" Dean's voice was still scratchy and hoarse and it made Castiel's eyebrows furrow.

Castiel didn't answer. He wanted Dean to calm down. He brought them up here so the human could have some serenity for a change. Even for just a minute.

So he kept them there, in the middle of hell and the heavens. With nothing around them except cool, clean air, the clouds and the mellow sound of Castiel's wings pulsating behind them.

Castiel watched as Dean's panicked expression eventually faded into calm confusion. Dean was looking around them, his eyes on the differently shaped clouds that flowed by them.

When Dean looked up at the blue sky, Castiel couldn't help but admire the mesmerizing emerald color of Dean's irises. Castiel compares it to the lovely grass in his favorite heaven.

"This can't still be hell," Dean said softly, finally staring back at Castiel. 

"If it is. Then this is really fucked."

"That is over now, Dean. You're saved."

Dean shook his head slowly. "I… I don't understand."

"That's fine. You won't remember any of this."

Dean looked away from Castiel's blank stare and moved his attention to the steady beating wings.

"What are you?"

Castiel bowed his head and looked at Dean's right hand that was balling up both his trench coat and suit jacket. He gingerly detangled Dean's fingers and internally was amused by Dean's left hand tightening its grip on his waist.

Castiel held Dean's hand flat in his palm and he could almost feel the history that these hands had to tell. He looked back up to Dean's dirtied face. Somehow despite all that Dean was covered in, Castiel found Dean Winchester to be stunning.

Castiel has had the privilege to be amongst the humans before but never has one struck him like this. Never had one elicited… emotion from him.

"It was an honor rescuing you, Dean Winchester."

"Wait, but-"

Castiel touched two fingers to Dean's forehead and watched the man's eyes fall shut and felt the hold on his vessel's clothing loosen. Castiel thought he looked peaceful.

Castiel held the human close to his body as he swooped down and out of the clouds.

When they arrived at Dean Winchester's gravesite, he planted himself and Dean on the overgrown grass and tucked his wings away. He gently lied Dean on his back, right on top of where his coffin was buried.

Castiel took one last look at the glimmering soul that was Dean Winchester before firmly pressing his hand in the middle of Dean's chest, sending the freed soul plummeting into the ground, right down to the decaying body underneath.

The force blew Castiel's trench coat back along with every tree around him in a 50-yard radius. The sounds of breaking tree trunks and their thuds on the ground didn't bother Castiel as he sat on the grass, his legs tucked underneath himself.

Then he waited.

He didn't know how long. He just waited until he saw the grass in front of him begin to pulse. Once he saw fingers pry through the soil, he stood up.

When Dean Winchester's head reached the surface, gasping for fresh air, Castiel was out of sight, observing him from the clouds.

After Dean crawled out of his grave, Castiel couldn't help the small smile that curled at his lips when Dean turned on to his back and basked in the sunshine that hit his face.

When Dean began to walk down the nearest road, Castiel found himself struggling to keep in the feeling he's been suppressing ever since Samandriel brought it up.

His wings flapped harder in anticipation. His fingers curled anxiously. There was a funny feeling bubbling in his stomach.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and he skyrocketed. His wings flapped at lightning speed as he barrelled towards the heavens.

And without thinking, he bellowed for all to hear,

**DEAN WINCHESTER IS SAVED.**

**Author's Note:**

> some parts might not make sense with how things work in the show, but hey that's fanfiction amirite. 
> 
> pls leave a kudos and comment :)


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